ODYSSEUS (aka ODIE) ABIN#19- 293- M, 1 1/2 Years
Name: Odysseus (AKA Odie)
Gender: Male
Age: 1 ½ years
Size/Weight: ~40 lbs
Color: Tri-Color
Breed: English Setter/Brittany?? Mix
Good with Children: There are no children in Odie’s foster home, but I think he would do well with older children who are properly educated on how to interact with dogs. He is friendly with everyone, but he does duck his head when you put your hand above it, so he would need kids to be sensitive to the likelihood that he might have had some harsh treatment in the past and be gentle with him. I would not recommend very young children who might grab him or pull his ears or his tail.
Good with Dogs: Yes. Odie lives with 8 setter foster siblings and gets along with all of them. He is particularly good friends with his foster brother Sozo and loves to chase squirrels with him. He gets a little annoyed with the puppy in the household when he is being crazy, but he just growls a little bit and walks away – I can’t really blame him because the puppy can be a bit crazy at times.
Good with Cats: Unknown. We don’t have any cats in his foster home. Odie has a pretty high prey drive with squirrels and birds in the yard, but I don’t know how that would translate to catts.
House trained: Yes, completely. Odie has never had an accident in the house or in his crate.
Crate trained: Yes. Odie goes into his crate for meals and for a treat. He sleeps there at night and is crated when we are out of the house for short periods of time. He doesn’t go into the crate on his own, but he settles very well inside and is calm and quiet when he is there.
Leash trained: Moderately. We do not leash walk a lot because we have a very large yard, but he is fairly good – not a perfect heel, but he doesn’t pull your arm out of the socket ☺
Activity Level: Typical Setter Activity Level. Like many setters, Odie needs to run and get a decent amount of exercise. Outside in the yard, he is very energetic and runs a lot, but he also settles down quite well inside and is very calm and relaxed in the house.
Fence: Strongly Preferred
Training/Behavior: Odie is a good boy. He has not had any formal training, but he is well behaved in the house. He does not have accidents and he does not chew or climb on things he is not supposed to. He does jump up on people for attention at times, but he is gentle in the way he does it and is overall well-mannered. He knows his name, but his recall is selective…. If he is intent on a bird or squirrel, he will pretend he doesn’t hear you. I would not trust him off leash outside of a securely fenced area at this time.
Medical History: Odie is healthy and up to date on all his vaccinations and flea/tick and heartworm prevention. He is neutered. Odie originates from Greece where Leishmaniasis is endemic. He was tested right before coming to the USA and his tests were negative, but the parasite can remain dormant for up to 7 years, so his new family must commit to testing him annually for the next 7 years.
Foster Comments:
Odie is a very sweet boy. We don’t know much about his history, but we suspect that he once lived in a home in Greece because he came into rescue in good shape and at a healthy weight which is unusual for our Greek rescue pups. He also seemed comfortable in the house and did not react to normal house things like the TV which often frighten our new Greek rescues. He seemed to be housetrained when he arrived and is well behaved in the house. It appears that Odie has been trained to stay off furniture because he has never tried to get up on the couches or any of the other furniture. He wants to be near his people and will come over and lay his head on your lap if you are sitting on the sofa, but he will not try to climb up beside you. He will happily lean against you with his head in your lap for as long as you will pet him. Odie LOVES to be petted.
I think he must have had some harsh treatment at some point because when you first go to pet his head, he will duck down like he’s afraid to be hit, but as soon as you touch him gently, he leans in for pets and keeps coming back for more. Whatever he might have experienced in his past, he very much wants love and attention from his people, and he likes to be near you as much as possible when he’s inside.
Outside, Odie is a bird and squirrel hunting machine! He will happily spend hours staring up the tree with his setter siblings and he definitely barks a lot at the birds and squirrels in the yard. Inside, he is very calm and quiet. I haven’t heard him bark at all inside the house. He definitely will need a home where he can have a yard to run and play. Hopefully his forever home will have a yard that doesn’t get too muddy (unfortunately mine does) because he really is NOT fond of baths. He tries to get out of the shower every chance he gets. If you kneel down and hold him, he tolerates it, but he’s definitely not a fan! If he gets some good yard and play time, he will be very well behaved inside.
Odie doesn’t have a tail - just a little nub - and it wags like crazy when he’s excited. It is really adorable to watch. I sometimes call him “Fuzzy Nubs” because of his little tail.
Odie is a sweet and happy boy, and he has been a pleasure to have in the home. He melded in with my pack very well, and I am sure he will be a wonderful family member and companion.
Adoption Fee: $350.00
Foster Location: Temperance, MI
Volunteer transport can be arranged in the Continental US within a 1,000 mile distance between adopters & foster home. If interstate transport is provided for your adopted dog, there will be a pass-through charge of $50.00 for the required Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (“Health Certificate”). Typically, we are able to transport your adopted dog to within 2 hours of your home. *Dogs can be adopted outside the 1000 mile transport distance; however, adopters must be willing to either fly their adopted dog, drive to a location within the 1000 mile transport range, or make independent transport arrangements for their adopted dog. Transports to far West states, from Eastern states, may have additional restrictions.
